1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a portable tool for machining the end of a pipe or tube workpiece for enabling subsequent welding of the workpiece. Such tools are commonly referred to in the welding field as pipe or tube end preparation tools.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable tube end preparation tools are generally well-known in the prior art, and are exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,051,059, 3,228,268, and 4,319,503. In such prior art tools, the drive motor or drive shaft is commonly disposed at a right angle to the rotational axis of the cutter head of the tool or axially in line with such axis. The feed of the cutter head into the workpiece, on the other hand, is more commonly achieved through manual rotation of a feed nut about an axis that coincides with the rotational axis of the cutter head. Although transversely extending feed drive arrangements are known per se, it has not heretofore been suggested to utilize a right angle drive system for the cutter head in combination with a right angle drive system for the feed nut in a compact tube end preparation tool. More commonly, in accordance with the prior art, the design of the tool required the placement of a feed nut and its associated actuator, which is usually a hand wheel or knob, at the rearward end of the tool, which resulted in a tool length that was inappropriate for use in highly confined areas and was inconvenient for an operator under certain operational conditions. The present invention is intended to provide a portable tube end preparation tool that is extremely compact both in width and length so that it is particularly well-suited for use in confined areas. Moreover, the present invention contemplates a drive motor system and a feed nut manipulating system that is more convenient to use by an operator of the tool.